Basilisk Dreams: Chapter Four- Out In The Open
*
Disclaimer- Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling and Warner Brothers, not
me.
*
"Pathetic!" The snake chided. "No-one can save you; you'll never be free of me!"
"But Harry killed you!" She protested her voice barely more than a weak squeak.
"Ah but even if I am dead it doesn't stop me haunting your dreams," The snake said, how could she understand?
"Then what does?" She asked.
"Nothing, not while my master can still use you. A very useful tool you're turning out to be as well!" The snake laughed, malicious.
Hermione let out a small scream, the Basilisk was now facing her, and she was looking into its cold yellow eyes. And yet she was not dead. She was looking a Basilisk in the eye shouldn't that meant certain death didn't it?
"Ah, logical as ever Miss Granger," A new voice said, one like steel, even harsher than the basilisk's and ten times as cruel. It's icy droning cut through her skin like a sharp razor, brutal, merciless. "But you see, as long as I have purpose for you my snake cannot harm you!"
Hermione despaired, Voldemort himself was speaking to her, chiding her, haunting her every move. Was it not enough to have his snake wrapped around her frail body? Was it not enough to have his snake squeezing away her life force? Was it not enough to have his snake quell her hopes?
"What do you want with me?" She asked, in barely more than a whisper.
"Ah my dear," Voldemort's un-embodied voice gave a low cruel chuckle, "For who you can lead me to. Even now as I step inside your dreams I come closer to destroying my ultimate enemy."
Harry. He was getting to Harry through her! She had to warn him before it was too late.. "Oh no my dear. Warning him won't do much good." Voldemort's cold callous voice cut through her thoughts. "You'll all be dead, all be dead."
*
Hermione woke with a start, to find the worried face of Lavender hovering over her.
"You were screaming something terrible." Lavender said. "You said HIS name." Lavender whispered, frightened, "And then you said, to warn Harry."
"So we did," Parvati said, entering the common room with Harry, Ron trailing behind anxiously.
Ron crossed the room to her. The dim lights of the dormitory were lit but it was still dark outside. The scene seemed surreal. Harry and Ron, sleepy but alarmed their cloaks flung hurriedly over their pyjamas. Lavender and Parvati on the point of hysterics and for some reason a white, pallid looking Ginny Weasley at the door.
"What is it Hermione?" Ron asked her, kneeling beside her bed.
She turned to face him, confused. He smiled encouragingly and held her hand. She would normally have blushed at such an action, but everything seemed so unreal!
"I." She started, "Juts a nightmare.I think.really I don't know!"
"What did you hear?" Harry Asked Lavender and Parvati.
"She was screaming, she said she wouldn't let them get to her, or something like that, then she started. well it was like she was chocking almost. then she shouted HIS name and started muttering to warn you." Parvati said, "So I did."
"She woke up not long after, and her face was all ashen, it still is, and look she can't stop shaking!" Lavender replied.
It was true, Hermione couldn't stop shaking, the room must have been warm but she felt as though the windows were open and the icy wind was blowing in. But the windows were firmly shut.
"What did you have to warn Harry about?" Ron asked gently.
Hermione looked at him. His freckled face slowly came into focus, his sapphire blue eyes shining with a deep concern and something else. What was that? She pushed it to the back of her mind, it was too confusing, and she had enough to think about as it was.
"He.Voldemort.that is..through me..to get to Harry," She couldn't help it her sentences were broken up, and her breathing shallow and pained.
"What?" Parvati asked.
"I think she's trying to say," Ginny said from the doorway, "That Voldemort is trying to get to Harry through her."
They all fell silent, Ron ripped her hand harder. Lavender and Parvati's faces showed pure terror. Ginny just stared, wide eyed at her. Harry began pacing back and forwards.
"We'll go to Dumbledore. First thing in the morning, I would go now but I happen to know he's out on a mission tonight." Harry said, "For now drink some of this."
He brought a little vile of dark purple liquid from his cloak pocket.
"It's a draught for sleeping dreamless sleep. It should work. Just drink a few drops." He said. "There's three hours till morning, try to get some sleep."
"Thank you." Hermione whispered, Harry smiled, and waved goodbye, leaving.
"Good night," Ginny said following him.
"Good night." Lavender and Parvati whispered, going back into their own beds.
"Here drink just a little bit." Ron said handing her the vile that Harry had left.
She took it, and let a few drops fall onto her tongue. It was tasteless but all at once she felt extremely sleepy.
"Don't worry," Ron was telling her, "I'm here.You're safe now."
But his kind words faded into the blackness, as she slipped into a deep, dreamless sleep.
*
"Harry!" Ginny called stopping him in his tracks, he turned.
"Yes?" He asked.
"Was it a nightmare? Or did Voldemort really speak to her?" Ginny asked her brown eyes wide with fear.
"I don't know Ginny," Harry said truthfully, "I just don't know."
*
In the morning Hermione found herself sitting in Dumbledore's office. Ron stood behind her, his hand on her shoulder- an oddly protective gesture. Harry paced nervously behind her. Also present was Sirius who sat looking grave and for some reason Professor Vablatsay.
Dumbledore looked older and more haggard than she had ever seen him. Lavender and Parvati had given their account of events before her.
"Well Miss Granger," Dumbledore said, smiling, "About your err nightmare, can you describe it?"
Hermione gulped, Ron's grip on her shoulder tightened. It still hurt even to think about it.
"Well," She began, her normally so confident voice, shaky and unsure, "I've had a few of them. Although only the last featured Voldemort. I had them first when I was petrified in my second year. You know by the basilisk?"
Professor Vablatsky gasped, "But people who are petrified don't dream!"
"No, not usually Cassandra," Dumbledore said, "But there have been cases, go on Hermione."
"Well they came back to me recently. They were usually all the same. The Basilisk would come, slither around me and chide me for being mudblood. Tell me I'm useless, not really a witch, worthless." Hermione said, calmer now, "And it would usually end with me about to give in- to look the Basilisk in the eye."
"So what was different this time?" Professor Vablatsky asked kindly.
"Voldemort came into it. Only his voice." Hermione said, shuddering violently and the memory.
"And what did he tell you?" Sirius asked.
"That as long as he had a purpose for me, his snake could not harm me. That he was using me to get close to Harry, to destroy him, and that warning him would do no good." She said, in barely more than a whisper.
The room fell silent as everybody contemplated it, Harry had gone a shade of green, and was shaking seemingly with anger. Dumbledore was first to speak:
"It may just have been a nightmare, it may have been Voldemort. There is only one way to find out. Cassandra dear would you be so kind as to perform a dream reading?" He asked.
The petite Professor nodded and stepped forward.
"Now Hermione, I want you to close your eyes and think of your dream," She said in her soft, kind voice.
"But she." Ron interrupted angrily. Hermione found herself wondering about him again.
"I know, it will be hard but it must be done." Professor Vablatsky said, apologetically.
So Hermione obeyed, summoning up images from her nightmare. The snake, the darkness, the eerie silver mist. Then the voices, the snake's voice, hungry and cold, Voldemort's voice callous and unmerciful.
After what seemed like an age, Professor Vablatsky's voice cut in, and said,
"Dream riddles, show me your true meaning!"
And again after another few minutes, that seemed like years she said:
"Ok Hermione, you may open your eyes."
Hermione did and looked around. Everyone stared at her. Except for Sirius. He had a strange look on his face. Almost as if her were reminiscing.
"That is no natural dream Albus," Professor Vablatsky said, "Voldemort planted it there. That seems to be the only explanation."
"Thank you." Dumbledore said gravely. "Ron, Harry, Hermione please go back to your common room. Have the day off. We will look into dealing with this problem."
*
Ron walked beside her, furious with himself. He had known something was wrong! Why hadn't he done something when he had the chance?
He looked at her, pale and worried. How could he help her? He didn't know how but he would!
She was something to him, he didn't know quite what. But something very special. Not like Harry he was special too, but in a different way. He couldn't explain it but it was up to him to help her!
*
Sirius left the office with her. Walking silently with her. The air could have been cut with a knife; he could almost taste the tension.
"You haven't lost your touch I see." He remarked.
She looked up at him surprised. Her dark blue eyes grey with uncertainty. He found himself still turning to jelly when she looked at him.
"No, I haven't." She replied.
"What do you think of Harry?" He ventured.
"He's so.he's just." Cassandra said, struggling to find the right words.
"Like them?" Sirius offered.
"Yes, he is." She replied, "So very much like them."
*
Harry sat in the common room. Hermione was half reading a book, Ron staring into the fire stubbornly.
Suddenly it hit him.
"I've got it!" He said, rushing up to the dorms, offering no other explanation for doing so.
He dug out the photograph album that Hagrid had given him. He turned to one of the group photos at his parents wedding.
Standing beside his father was Sirius as always. Besides his mother was a bridesmaid, someone he had never taken particular notice of. But now that he did he recognized her.
He knew that he'd seen Professor Cassandra Vablatsky somewhere before.
*
AN- So what do you think? Please review. See what I mean about letting a little bit out at a time rather than giving you the full fact straight away? Lol.
"Pathetic!" The snake chided. "No-one can save you; you'll never be free of me!"
"But Harry killed you!" She protested her voice barely more than a weak squeak.
"Ah but even if I am dead it doesn't stop me haunting your dreams," The snake said, how could she understand?
"Then what does?" She asked.
"Nothing, not while my master can still use you. A very useful tool you're turning out to be as well!" The snake laughed, malicious.
Hermione let out a small scream, the Basilisk was now facing her, and she was looking into its cold yellow eyes. And yet she was not dead. She was looking a Basilisk in the eye shouldn't that meant certain death didn't it?
"Ah, logical as ever Miss Granger," A new voice said, one like steel, even harsher than the basilisk's and ten times as cruel. It's icy droning cut through her skin like a sharp razor, brutal, merciless. "But you see, as long as I have purpose for you my snake cannot harm you!"
Hermione despaired, Voldemort himself was speaking to her, chiding her, haunting her every move. Was it not enough to have his snake wrapped around her frail body? Was it not enough to have his snake squeezing away her life force? Was it not enough to have his snake quell her hopes?
"What do you want with me?" She asked, in barely more than a whisper.
"Ah my dear," Voldemort's un-embodied voice gave a low cruel chuckle, "For who you can lead me to. Even now as I step inside your dreams I come closer to destroying my ultimate enemy."
Harry. He was getting to Harry through her! She had to warn him before it was too late.. "Oh no my dear. Warning him won't do much good." Voldemort's cold callous voice cut through her thoughts. "You'll all be dead, all be dead."
*
Hermione woke with a start, to find the worried face of Lavender hovering over her.
"You were screaming something terrible." Lavender said. "You said HIS name." Lavender whispered, frightened, "And then you said, to warn Harry."
"So we did," Parvati said, entering the common room with Harry, Ron trailing behind anxiously.
Ron crossed the room to her. The dim lights of the dormitory were lit but it was still dark outside. The scene seemed surreal. Harry and Ron, sleepy but alarmed their cloaks flung hurriedly over their pyjamas. Lavender and Parvati on the point of hysterics and for some reason a white, pallid looking Ginny Weasley at the door.
"What is it Hermione?" Ron asked her, kneeling beside her bed.
She turned to face him, confused. He smiled encouragingly and held her hand. She would normally have blushed at such an action, but everything seemed so unreal!
"I." She started, "Juts a nightmare.I think.really I don't know!"
"What did you hear?" Harry Asked Lavender and Parvati.
"She was screaming, she said she wouldn't let them get to her, or something like that, then she started. well it was like she was chocking almost. then she shouted HIS name and started muttering to warn you." Parvati said, "So I did."
"She woke up not long after, and her face was all ashen, it still is, and look she can't stop shaking!" Lavender replied.
It was true, Hermione couldn't stop shaking, the room must have been warm but she felt as though the windows were open and the icy wind was blowing in. But the windows were firmly shut.
"What did you have to warn Harry about?" Ron asked gently.
Hermione looked at him. His freckled face slowly came into focus, his sapphire blue eyes shining with a deep concern and something else. What was that? She pushed it to the back of her mind, it was too confusing, and she had enough to think about as it was.
"He.Voldemort.that is..through me..to get to Harry," She couldn't help it her sentences were broken up, and her breathing shallow and pained.
"What?" Parvati asked.
"I think she's trying to say," Ginny said from the doorway, "That Voldemort is trying to get to Harry through her."
They all fell silent, Ron ripped her hand harder. Lavender and Parvati's faces showed pure terror. Ginny just stared, wide eyed at her. Harry began pacing back and forwards.
"We'll go to Dumbledore. First thing in the morning, I would go now but I happen to know he's out on a mission tonight." Harry said, "For now drink some of this."
He brought a little vile of dark purple liquid from his cloak pocket.
"It's a draught for sleeping dreamless sleep. It should work. Just drink a few drops." He said. "There's three hours till morning, try to get some sleep."
"Thank you." Hermione whispered, Harry smiled, and waved goodbye, leaving.
"Good night," Ginny said following him.
"Good night." Lavender and Parvati whispered, going back into their own beds.
"Here drink just a little bit." Ron said handing her the vile that Harry had left.
She took it, and let a few drops fall onto her tongue. It was tasteless but all at once she felt extremely sleepy.
"Don't worry," Ron was telling her, "I'm here.You're safe now."
But his kind words faded into the blackness, as she slipped into a deep, dreamless sleep.
*
"Harry!" Ginny called stopping him in his tracks, he turned.
"Yes?" He asked.
"Was it a nightmare? Or did Voldemort really speak to her?" Ginny asked her brown eyes wide with fear.
"I don't know Ginny," Harry said truthfully, "I just don't know."
*
In the morning Hermione found herself sitting in Dumbledore's office. Ron stood behind her, his hand on her shoulder- an oddly protective gesture. Harry paced nervously behind her. Also present was Sirius who sat looking grave and for some reason Professor Vablatsay.
Dumbledore looked older and more haggard than she had ever seen him. Lavender and Parvati had given their account of events before her.
"Well Miss Granger," Dumbledore said, smiling, "About your err nightmare, can you describe it?"
Hermione gulped, Ron's grip on her shoulder tightened. It still hurt even to think about it.
"Well," She began, her normally so confident voice, shaky and unsure, "I've had a few of them. Although only the last featured Voldemort. I had them first when I was petrified in my second year. You know by the basilisk?"
Professor Vablatsky gasped, "But people who are petrified don't dream!"
"No, not usually Cassandra," Dumbledore said, "But there have been cases, go on Hermione."
"Well they came back to me recently. They were usually all the same. The Basilisk would come, slither around me and chide me for being mudblood. Tell me I'm useless, not really a witch, worthless." Hermione said, calmer now, "And it would usually end with me about to give in- to look the Basilisk in the eye."
"So what was different this time?" Professor Vablatsky asked kindly.
"Voldemort came into it. Only his voice." Hermione said, shuddering violently and the memory.
"And what did he tell you?" Sirius asked.
"That as long as he had a purpose for me, his snake could not harm me. That he was using me to get close to Harry, to destroy him, and that warning him would do no good." She said, in barely more than a whisper.
The room fell silent as everybody contemplated it, Harry had gone a shade of green, and was shaking seemingly with anger. Dumbledore was first to speak:
"It may just have been a nightmare, it may have been Voldemort. There is only one way to find out. Cassandra dear would you be so kind as to perform a dream reading?" He asked.
The petite Professor nodded and stepped forward.
"Now Hermione, I want you to close your eyes and think of your dream," She said in her soft, kind voice.
"But she." Ron interrupted angrily. Hermione found herself wondering about him again.
"I know, it will be hard but it must be done." Professor Vablatsky said, apologetically.
So Hermione obeyed, summoning up images from her nightmare. The snake, the darkness, the eerie silver mist. Then the voices, the snake's voice, hungry and cold, Voldemort's voice callous and unmerciful.
After what seemed like an age, Professor Vablatsky's voice cut in, and said,
"Dream riddles, show me your true meaning!"
And again after another few minutes, that seemed like years she said:
"Ok Hermione, you may open your eyes."
Hermione did and looked around. Everyone stared at her. Except for Sirius. He had a strange look on his face. Almost as if her were reminiscing.
"That is no natural dream Albus," Professor Vablatsky said, "Voldemort planted it there. That seems to be the only explanation."
"Thank you." Dumbledore said gravely. "Ron, Harry, Hermione please go back to your common room. Have the day off. We will look into dealing with this problem."
*
Ron walked beside her, furious with himself. He had known something was wrong! Why hadn't he done something when he had the chance?
He looked at her, pale and worried. How could he help her? He didn't know how but he would!
She was something to him, he didn't know quite what. But something very special. Not like Harry he was special too, but in a different way. He couldn't explain it but it was up to him to help her!
*
Sirius left the office with her. Walking silently with her. The air could have been cut with a knife; he could almost taste the tension.
"You haven't lost your touch I see." He remarked.
She looked up at him surprised. Her dark blue eyes grey with uncertainty. He found himself still turning to jelly when she looked at him.
"No, I haven't." She replied.
"What do you think of Harry?" He ventured.
"He's so.he's just." Cassandra said, struggling to find the right words.
"Like them?" Sirius offered.
"Yes, he is." She replied, "So very much like them."
*
Harry sat in the common room. Hermione was half reading a book, Ron staring into the fire stubbornly.
Suddenly it hit him.
"I've got it!" He said, rushing up to the dorms, offering no other explanation for doing so.
He dug out the photograph album that Hagrid had given him. He turned to one of the group photos at his parents wedding.
Standing beside his father was Sirius as always. Besides his mother was a bridesmaid, someone he had never taken particular notice of. But now that he did he recognized her.
He knew that he'd seen Professor Cassandra Vablatsky somewhere before.
*
AN- So what do you think? Please review. See what I mean about letting a little bit out at a time rather than giving you the full fact straight away? Lol.